Development and the Next Generation World Development Report 2007

Why focus on ‘youth’? Why are youth issues critical for development? Characteristics of the ‘next generation’ or ‘youth’ (12-24 years)  Past success in providing basic services.  Exposed globally to goods, services, information.  Huge numbers Risks to development if youth are ignored  Increased need for secondary, tertiary school places;  Face new risks, ‘new’ diseases (HIV/AIDs);  inability to compete in high value-added global markets.  frustrated expectations and insecurity?  high unemployment,  low productivity dead-end jobs,  instability, locally and perhaps internationally.

Number of young is largest it has ever been – or will be

Young people are also a source for growth! The demographic dividend Working people who are:  More skilled  Healthier  Better connected Asia

Progressing through school Going to work Forming families Exercising citizenship Staying healthy Key for Development: Decisions made for, and by Youth in 5 Transition Phases Growth and Poverty Reduction Policies and Institutions

Proposed Policy Framework In each transition, Broaden options for the young (“Choice”) Enable the young to choose wisely among the options (“Agency”) Help the young mitigate the consequences of bad luck or bad choices (“Second Chance”)

Progressing through School Ensuring access to and quality of secondary education (e.g. Indonesia - next graph) Balancing “vocational” and academic training Handling non-formal education Determining entry to and financing of higher education Implications for Bank: Place post-primary issues higher on the Bank’s agenda

Grade Percent of year old cohort that has completed each grade late 90s Poorest 40 percentRichest 20 percent Indonesia: high primary schooling outcomes lead to constraints at next level

Staying Healthy Impacts of unprotected sex:  Reproductive health of young women  Increased risk of HIV/AIDS (see next graph) Impacts of other risk-taking behaviors  Drug and alcohol abuse  Gender violence and trafficking Implications for Bank: Re-engage on population, gender issues, as well as a youth-perspective on health outcomes

The young are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior (Percent Engaging In High Risk Sex) Source: Measure DHS, HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database. Survey Data, UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic, 2004.

Going to Work High youth unemployment (see graph) Specific issues in entering the labor market:  Child labor  Female labor force participation  Role of the informal and self-employed sectors Migration Implications for Bank: Strengthen link between investment climate and skills development; highlight youth migration as major global issue

Unemployment among youth is high relative to adults, and by great margins in some regions

Forming Families While age at marriage is rising almost everywhere, age at first birth is still remarkably young in several countries. Early marriage and childbirth has deleterious effects:  Negative health consequences for women  Lower schooling outcomes  Lower labor force participation Improving agency among young women is key Implications for Bank: re-enter dialogue on demographic change

Exercising Citizenship Averting criminal and other non-social behavior Channeling energies towards more productive development purposes:  Participation in development projects  Voice in policy-making  Peer education Implications for Bank: Solidify emerging areas of work regarding security and development; youth participation in development